Closer Examination

As we saw before, the Aukey KM-G6 keyboard comes in a foam wrap to keep it pristine and free of dust out of the box. Removing it, we get our first good look at the keyboard, and it does share a lot of similarities with their KM-G8 keyboard we saw before. If anything, I dare say that the plastic case is extending past the metal frame and upward, and the rest of the case looks identical to the one used before. This extra section at the top provides some real estate to move the Aukey logo to the top-right corner above the indicator LEDs, as opposed to the bezel-less KM-G8 where the logo is above the arrow keys. The KM-G6, as mentioned earlier, is a full-size 104 key ANSI layout keyboard, and the all-black color scheme combined with the small bezels (at least on the sides and bottom) make for a clean-looking keyboard.

There are indicator LEDs above the numpad, which in turn has keycaps with secondary legends next to the primary ones, including the pre-programmed Home/End/Page Up/Page Down functions that are printed on in a relatively tiny font to allow them to fit. It is the same with the general secondary legends in the alphanumeric section, and there are also some keyboard-specific secondary legends that appear underneath the primary legends as seen above. Single legend placement is top and center, which hints towards where the LEDs are placed underneath the keycaps. The legend typeface is fairly clean even with the seams in looped legends via the standard doubleshot-injection process, and the keyboard as a whole will fit into a variety of environments well provided that front logo is not a bother.


Flipping the keyboard around, we see the usual certification sticker in the middle as well as a QC sticker above it. There are two rubber pads and several small plastic extensions along the edges in the back to keep the keyboard from sliding around on the desk, and two feet at the top open up sideways to optionally elevate the keyboard. These feet also have rubber pads to ensure they don't get scratched easily, which effectively adds two more rubber pads when not used.


A non-detachable cable emerges from the middle, is shorter than usual at 4.9' long (vs. 6'), and terminates in a male USB Type-A connector. The sticker on the back also tells us that the keyboard is rated for just 200 mA at 5 VDC, so USB 2.0 is plenty enough to power it. This is the same rating as for the non-backlit KM-G8 keyboard, so presumably, they were just being cautious before.


The keycaps have an OEM profile, and the various rows are thus sculpted accordingly. They have a floating design, which allows for easier cleaning and replacement. The included keycap puller works well enough, but does have the potential to scratch the sides of the keycaps when used. The keycaps themselves are ABS plastic, so expect them to develop a shine due to finger oils with use. The primary and generic secondary legends are doubleshot, as mentioned above, which means they will not wear out any sooner than the keycap material itself, but the keyboard-specific secondary legends are pad printed, thus opaque, and will wear out quicker, which is a small disappointment. On the plus side, the bottom row has "standard" spacing with 1.25u keycaps on either side of the space bar, making this compatible with a vast majority of aftermarket keycap sets, although you might want to leave the stock ones on until you are familiar enough with the secondary legends.


Here is where we begin to see some more ways Aukey has saved money and passed it on. As with the KM-G8, the Aukey KM-G6 uses Outemu Blue mechanical switches. These cost a lot less than the more familiar Cherry MK switches (or even Kailh switches), and offering a single switch variant also helps. Notice the switch stem has what appears to be a well on the sides that offers some dust protection, but Aukey does not claim so on their website, presumably owing to the gap in the middle. It was all the more intriguing then that the Aukey web shop on Amazon does claim water resistance, which I suppose is helped by the channels in the case which allow water through and out the back. I found these keycaps to slide better over the switch stem for less wobble, which in turn provides a more satisfying typing experience. The larger keycaps use Cherry-style stabilizers, which makes these easier to remove and install, but the space bar does feel mushy because of it.